How's it compare with the Coogee-Clovelly coast walk around Gordon's Bay to the north ? There's quite a few steps there - giving gradients around 50% for some sections. Coogee to Clovelly and back would be a really punishing walking/jogging repeat, and at least an out-and-back run seems popular enough with local joggers. My knees hurt just thinking about that

[/quote]

coogee to clovelly and back is not so bad. its parts of south coogee which are challenging. there is one run of over 200 steps in a row some of the steps are enormous too. when i want to do a high intense training session, i just go there and to the steps for half an hour. heart rate remains at over 85% the whole time. sore legs for a couple of weeks!

15% is, from what I've heard from a number of people, the max gradient of Awaba St. This google street view image gives you a good idea of the steepness. As people have already said, it gets steepest towards the top (just before the roundabout). Average gradient from the bottom is apparently 12.5%, about 600metres long.

[Edit: fixed url - forum doesn't seem to like tiny url links]

Last edited by philip on Fri May 29, 2009 8:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

wombatk you've got me there..........anyone with a garmin want to give that route a try?.....i am confident on 15% though.

i know its a tough one because one of our mates who was 11th out of 520 in the Dirtworks 50 admitted to thinking he might have to unclip in 39x25. We have done a lot of climbs together including Otford Wall with confirmed 12%+ first pitch and this is easily comparable for steepness, but certainly not length. Dundas street is the kicker...

Last edited by rob e on Fri May 29, 2009 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

agree, i like the start in oberon, as you cant see the top, you are doing it tough then you turn left and look up at dundas....then you are completely shot and have to turn right on rainbow. you should give it a go on the oppy this weekend mate

rob e wrote:agree, i like the start in oberon, as you cant see the top, you are doing it tough then you turn left and look up at dundas....then you are completely shot and have to turn right on rainbow. you should give it a go on the oppy this weekend mate

i think i will! all this talk has geeeeed me up. i will do a la pa run first to warm up and attempt it on the way back

i know its a tough one because one of our mates who was 11th out of 520 in the Dirtworks 50 admitted to thinking he might have to unclip in 39x25. We have done a lot of climbs together including Otford Wall with confirmed 12%+ first pitch and this is easily comparable for steepness, but certainly not length. Dundas street is the kicker...

This was most likely due to the random errors in elevation data often exceeding the difference in elevation over short distances (e.g. 0.5 m error in elevation is quite significant when points are just 10 m apart). On steep roads like this, the accuracy of a GPS is questionable - as the hill itself can obscure some satellites. And finally, the Garmin appears to average or smooth gradient data over either some distance or time (I haven't worked out which) in ways that don't seem too clever.

So with these caveats on accuracy, I tried to work out what gradients could be calculated from the raw elevation data and coordinates logged by the Garmin. This gave something less ridiculous.

From the start of Oberon St to the peak of the climb on Rainbow St, the road rises approximately 48 m over 300 m - an average gradient of 16% (this is the average of three laps on that section). The gradient is above 15% for over 240m, and when you first enter Rainbow St from Dundas St, the gradient is over 20% for 40 m (maybe as high as 25% at its worst).

The gradients on Arden St are somewhat tamer. For example, the worst is the hill from Dolphin St on the southern end of Coogee beach - it reaches 15% for the last 30 m or so before Alison Rd.

Here is a graph showing the elevation (on right axis) and gradient (on left axis). There are slope lines that represent a 1 in 6 (16%) gradient also shown as a guide to the steepness...

For anyone looking for a punishing workout, this ought to satisfy - there's even a nice little warm-up climb up Beach Rd, and plenty of other hills in the area with serious gradients. The Oberon/Dundas/Rainbow St loop is not for the feint-hearted, which counts me out. I'd happily give anyone who can do this in 39x25 a standing ovation.

In terms of steepest gradient, Rainbow St probably beats Bowen Mt. However, Bowen Mt has gradients around 12% that are sustained for much longer distances. The vertical distance climbed is an aspect of "steepest" that needs to be considered, and I suspect that Bowen Mt would take more grunt to execute that Rainbow St.

WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

[For anyone looking for a punishing workout, this ought to satisfy - there's even a nice little warm-up climb up Beach Rd, and plenty of other hills in the area with serious gradients. The Oberon/Dundas/Rainbow St loop is not for the feint-hearted, which counts me out. I'd happily give anyone who can do this in 39x25 a standing ovation.

i will give it a crack maybe this weekend im not quite sure how to approach it do you 39/25 the whole way?

ni78ck wrote:i will give it a crack maybe this weekend im not quite sure how to approach it do you 39/25 the whole way?

52x11 would be fine on the downhill As for the uphill, how low can you go ? There'd be no shame in starting Oberon in 39x28 (if you had one !). Don't know about your chances of changing down a gear once the gradient gets over 10% - wouldn't you lose too much momentum ? What do others think ?

WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

Check out the Otford Wall. Climb starts on Otford Road, Otford at the Causeway heading West, and ends at Werong Pl Helensburgh. Its a real stinker. First pitch is diabolical........first 900m averages 12% i beleive, and i am certain there is a 200-300 metre section of near 15%.

ni78ck wrote:i will give it a crack maybe this weekend im not quite sure how to approach it do you 39/25 the whole way?

from memory you have a dura ace oppy....so i think your lowest is 39x25. I'd start Oberon in 39x23 and get as far as you can in that before changing to 39x25.......probably at the corner of dundas. You will just need to grit the teeth from there. There is a little turnout at the corner of rainbow st to the left so you could pull in there and then turn around and take on the last part of the climb without having to unclip if you completely blow up coming up Dundas st.

I remember first time i did it on Rainbow St at 20%+ gradient my arms were burning with lactic acid.....imagine how the legs were!

ni78ck wrote:i will give it a crack maybe this weekend im not quite sure how to approach it do you 39/25 the whole way?

from memory you have a dura ace oppy....so i think your lowest is 39x25. I'd start Oberon in 39x23 and get as far as you can in that before changing to 39x25.......probably at the corner of dundas. You will just need to grit the teeth from there. There is a little turnout at the corner of rainbow st to the left so you could pull in there and then turn around and take on the last part of the climb without having to unclip if you completely blow up coming up Dundas st.

I remember first time i did it on Rainbow St at 20%+ gradient my arms were burning with lactic acid.....imagine how the legs were!

i was fine last week coming down dundas . i too was thinking of the exit to the left! thats a must i think, and then gather the #alls to do the last 50m

I will be doing this on Sat morning after already climbing Artillery Hill and Garie Beach Hill.......both stinkers in their own right.

From the Google Earth Maps, Otford Rd looks like something I wouldn't want to tangle with yet. Bowen Mt, from Gross Vale Rd cnr, averages only 6.5% over 5 km. Otford Rd averages about 8.5% over 2 km (using very rough Google Earth SRTM3 data). Both have some gradients over 15% along the way.

The pain is probably similar - but might last a bit longer on Bowen Mt (elevation profile earlier in this thread). Even moreso if the lead-in to Bowen Mt was doing the 200 m of ascent from Richmond up to the start of Bowen Mt Rd. If you do bust a gut on the climb, at least with Otford Rd the ambulance is pretty close by (in Helensburgh) - not some 15 km away like in Bowen Mt case.

rob e wrote:I will be doing this on Sat morning after already climbing Artillery Hill and Garie Beach Hill.......both stinkers in their own right.

Oh the pain, the pain - don't you love it Will Robinson ?

WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

good point re the ambo, the worst thing about the otford wall is that the climb starts straight from the weir at 15% no warning, no warm up just bang. and your legs and then thoroughly shot....the first 800-900 metres is the toughest, and the gradient eases after that somewhat but the damage has been done. the other issue is the second half has a number of "steps" which means you cant see the top and dont know how long the hurt is going to continue. The consensus among the local roadies and tri guys in the know is that Otford Wall is the nastiest single climb on the southside (not including 'gong climbs of course)

How exactly does one get onto this "Otford Wall" road? Turn off at the pie shop is all I've heard but not sure where to go when you get down to the bottom of the hill. Would like to give it a go next time I am staying at Bundeena and have my bike with me.Had a roll up Bowen Mt Rd this morning with Todd. That's certainly a good work out starting from Penrith via N. Richmond / Grose Vale Rd. Just keeps getting progressively steeper over several kilometres and finishes off with a nice steep pitch up Wattle St (?) before the final climb to Lt Bowen Rd(?). That last bit seemed similar to Old Bathurst Rd but with a much longer and tougher lead in. Highly recommended (if self flagelation is your thing) NFS

NFS, if you are heading south, turn right at the Pie Shop (Domville Rd) then head down the hill, follow Domville Road until it meets with Otford Road (bushfire brigade on the corner) then just head down the hill (Otford Road) and cross the causeway.....The Wall starts once you cross the causeway. The 15% starts basically straight away, expect to be out of the saddle in 39x25 pretty much immediately. Follow it to the end, then we head right on walker, left on parkes and home on the old highway. or, of course you can turn around at the top and head back to bundeena via RNP. a good way for you might to be to head back on the old highway to waterfall and then enter RNP at waterfall and go home to bundeena though the park.

Who is online

About the Australian Cycling Forums

The largest cycling discussion forum in Australia for all things bike; from new riders to seasoned bike nuts, the Australian Cycling Forums are a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.